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4 Gillian Hampden-Thompson of the University of York, UK prepared this report in collaboration with American Institutes for Research (AIR), Washington, and with the contribution of Gabrielle Bonnet and the support of Caroline Pontefract. The study was designed, developed and the data collected by UNRWA educational colleagues from all five Fields of UNRWA operation following training. ii

6 Foreword This report presents the findings of an agency wide study of drop out of students in UNRWA schools, both at elementary and preparatory levels. The study was undertaken by UNRWA educationalists in the five Fields of its operation, led by the Education Department, HQ, in 2011/2012. The sample relates to 170 schools across the five Fields. Analysis of the data was carried out by the University of York, UK and the American Institutes for Research in Washington, with the active engagement of the UNRWA team. The study explores the reasons behind UNRWA student drop out from the perspective of students themselves, their parents and the teachers. The purpose of the research was to better understand what causes children to drop out, or as it is referred to in the report, fade out (Hampden, G, 2013). Such understanding will better enable schools and teachers to identify warning signs and risk factors so that preventative and support mechanisms can be put in place. Key findings of the study point to the need to address students perception of their own academic underachievement, a stated lack of interest in school and fear of exams. It also highlights the importance of engagement of parents (or carers) in their child s learning and ensuring their completion of schooling. For the UNRWA education system as a whole, the findings suggest the need to consider the role of student grade repetition, as the study shows that a child who has repeated a grade is ten times more likely to drop out of schooling than a child who has not. Overall this research, and its findings, make a valuable contribution to UNRWA s ongoing strive for quality, evidenced based education for all children in all schools. It also contributes to the wider discourse and our understanding of what the report describes as an enduring world issue. Dr. Caroline Pontefract Director of Education Department UNRWA Headquarter, Amman iv

7 unrwa school drop out september 2013 introduction While school dropout is an enduring issue worldwide, relatively very little global research has been conducted in this area. Lessening the prevalence of dropouts in all school systems is an important issue. However, it becomes more salient in areas of the world where school completion is vital for achieving many basic economic, social, and health outcomes. Dropping out of school is often viewed as a single event in which a student simply stops attending school one day. This is very rarely the case. Instead, school dropout is often the result of a series of events or processes that culminate into the final action of the student attending school for the very last time. Rather than referring to this as dropping out, it could be characterized as fading out. Given this, there may be many points along the process of fading out in which actions can be taken and the path to dropping out prevented. Recognizing factors that are indicators of potential school dropout and reacting to them may prevent students from leaving school prematurely. background The education reform vision of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is to provide quality education that allows Palestine refugees to achieve their full potential, both individually and as a member of the local and global community, towards active and productive participation in social, political, economic, and cultural life. 1 UNRWA is responsible for running schools, delivering the curriculum, and the hiring, training, and professional development of educational staff. As part of the reform, UNRWA has developed a research strategy with the aim of supporting education decision and policymaking. One key area within the UNRWA Research Strategy is a study of school dropout to find concrete ways of better targeting UNRWA action to address dropout. The study included analysis of the characteristics of students who drop out of school and the reasons or situations that lead to dropping out. The collection and analysis of data from students who have dropped out of Palestine refugee schools in Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank may reveal warning signs and risk factors that can be identified before the student leaves school prematurely and help put in place interventions and supports to help the student continue their education. The analysis presented in this report is based on data collected from a sample of dropouts from 172 schools in the five UNRWA Fields: Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank. The students dropped out in the elementary (Grades 1-6) or preparatory (Grades 7-9 in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, Grade 10 in Jordan) cycles, and came from either single sex or co-educational schools. Sampling occurred in two different ways. In the West Bank, Syria, and Jordan, a random sample consisting of 10 percent of all schools was selected, and information from all dropouts within the selected schools was collected. In Lebanon and Gaza, 10 percent of all dropouts across all schools were selected for the 1 1

8 sample. Dropouts were defined as students who left school during the school year 2. They were interviewed by a school counselor, teacher counselor, head teacher, guidance and counseling expert, or UNRWA research and development coordinator during the year of The research gathered the following information: Dropouts were provided with a list of 32 possible reasons for dropout and asked to identify each as a major reason, a secondary reason, or as inapplicable to their decision to drop out of school. In addition to reasons for dropout, dropouts were asked who made the decision to drop out (was it theirs or that of family members), their current situation (whether they are currently working, studying in a technical or vocational education center, or none of these), and whether they regret dropping out. Further data regarding dropout students was collected from school records. This information relates to the dropouts when they were still studying in school, in In addition to information regarding students, the study gathered information from a smaller number of parents and educators, allowing for the identification of any major discrepancies in the perceptions of students and family and school actors. The dropout rate was calculated as the percentage of students who dropped out during the school year compared to all students who had been enrolled during the school year. Dropout rates calculated in this report take into account the differing sample selection of dropouts. Data for Syria were collected at the school level and Field staff made an initial analysis based on the paper forms that were collected, before any data entry. However, due to the changing circumstances in the Field, the data collected from students became unavailable and could not be entered for further analysis. Therefore, information on why students dropped out is generally not available for Syria. However, results for Syria are presented where possible. The first section of this report presents overall and sample school dropout rates. The second section examines the personal and school related characteristics of the dropouts. The third section explores whose decision it was to drop out of school. The fourth and fifth sections focus on the reasons the student s gave for why they dropped out. The sixth section provides analysis that clusters the reasons given for dropout. The last section provides information on the potential warning signs that may help schools identify students who are particularly at risk of dropping out. 2 Therefore, in this study, dropout rates for a grade or a cycle refer to average dropout during a single school year. This should not be confused with cumulative dropout rates that look at the total number of students, out of a given cohort starting the cycle, who dropout before finishing the cycle. Cumulative dropout over the course of basic education (i.e. the proportion of a cohort that does not make it to 10th grade), is actually close to 10 times higher than the average dropout rate found this study. 2

9 Study findings unrwa school drop out september 2013 Reasons for dropping out: all Fields The percentage of students who dropped out of UNRWA schools in the five Fields in ranged from 1 to 2 percent. Overall, dropouts indicated that academic engagement reasons were the most salient reasons for dropping out of school. The overwhelming majority of dropouts in Lebanon, Gaza, and Jordan had repeated at least one grade, and this was true for both males and females. Students who have repeated a grade are over ten times more likely than others to dropout. Most dropouts in were male (56 percent) and all-male schools had higher dropout rates than all female and co-educational schools. While male dropouts were disproportionally represented in four of the five Fields (Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank), in Jordan, female dropouts outweighed male dropouts. Dropouts were more likely to be in preparatory (Grades 7 to 9, or 10 in Jordan) school than elementary (Grades 1 to 6) school when they dropped out, with the exception of Gaza (even though the average dropout rate for a single grade level remains lower in elementary than in preparatory in Gaza). Related to this, a high percentage of students dropped out at 16 years of age. The majority of students, who had dropped out, had experienced at least one social or economic risk factor. A high percentage of dropouts had parents that had a basic education or less. Most notably in Lebanon, 87 percent of dropouts had a father who had received only a basic education or was illiterate. Around half of parents of dropouts in Jordan and West Bank were reported to have low levels of interest in education. In Gaza, the percentage was considerably lower (14 percent). The majority of students who eventually dropped out of school spent less than an hour a day studying. The majority of dropouts in Lebanon, Syria and West Bank had low or very low achievement, as reflected in school records. This did not appear to be the case in Gaza and Jordan, yet in both Fields underachievement was quoted by a majority of students as a major reason for dropout. The majority of dropouts reported that they, the student, made the decision to drop out of school. Males were more likely than females to report wanting to gain independence as a reason for dropping out. Females were more likely than males to report early marriage as a major reason for dropping out. Dropouts who had repeated at least one grade were more likely to report that they dropped out of school for academic engagement reasons than those dropouts who did not repeat a grade. The difference was most notable in Lebanon. 3

10 Reasons for dropping out by Field (detailed data from Syria was not available) Gaza Underachievement was the major reason for dropout most often quoted by students in Gaza, yet their achievement, as reflected by school records, does not appear as low as in most other Fields. Around half of the Gaza dropouts reported being overage as a major reason for dropping out, the highest level across the UNRWA Fields. In the case of girls, this cannot be explained by the Field s proportion of overage students. The repetition rate for Gaza girls was the lowest across the UNRWA Fields. Anxiety of exams and, to a lesser extent, the family and socio-economic environments, were also salient reasons for dropout in Gaza. Lebanon Underachievement was a major reason for dropout in Lebanon, particularly for boys, triggering more male dropouts there than in most other Fields. Being overage was a major reason for dropout for 37 percent of the boys and 20 percent of the girls. This may be a direct reflection of the high repetition rates in Lebanon. Family and economic issues were more prominent in Lebanon than in other Fields. Friends negative influence was also a major reason for dropout for 42 percent of boys. Twenty-five percent of girls quoted early marriage as a major reason for dropout. Approximately 2 percent of all girls in Lebanon schools dropped out with early marriage as a major reason, compared to less than 1 percent in the occupied Palestine territory (Gaza and West Bank). Jordan Underachievement was often quoted by students as a major reason for dropout in Jordan, and appears to prompt more female dropouts than in most Fields. Yet, dropouts achievement as captured in school data did not appear as low in Jordan as in other Fields. Family and economic issues were proportionately a larger problem in Jordan than in other Fields, including (for boys) the need to work to help the family. School related issues (lack of interest in school, help or follow-up by teachers, corporal punishment, and lack of links with the family), while rarely quoted as a main issue in other Fields, were quoted as a main reason for dropout in Jordan. This was particularly the case for boys. Early marriage was responsible for the dropout of 6 percent of girl students in Jordan. This is much higher than the occupied Palestine territory (Gaza and West Bank) (less than 1 percent). West Bank Underachievement was a major reason for dropout in West Bank. Too much TV and Internet was also quoted as a major reason for dropout by 48 percent of the boys and 38 percent of the girls. 4

11 unrwa school drop out september 2013 school dropout rates among Palestinian refugees overall rates The average yearly school dropout rate in ranged from 1 to 2 percent across the five Fields (see Table 1). 3 Syria had the highest average dropout rate (1.86 percent), while Gaza had the lowest (0.44 percent). Table 1 provides information for each Field on dropout rates and the educational level (elementary and preparatory) and gender of the dropout. Table 1: Prevalence of School Dropout among Palestinian Refugees in Field Average drop out rates Elementary Grades 1-6 Preparatory Grades 7-9/10 Males Females Total Males Females Total Total West Bank Lebanon Gaza Jordan Syria Across the five Fields, there were higher rates of dropouts in preparatory schools than elementary schools (2.72 versus 0.50, respectively). This pattern was consistent within each of the five Fields. In the West Bank, the dropout rate at the preparatory level was eight times greater than at the elementary level. In contrast, in Lebanon the dropout rate at the preparatory level was two times greater than at the elementary level. Overall, males had higher dropout rates than females in at both the elementary (0.62 versus 0.35, respectively) and preparatory levels (3.10 versus 2.28, respectively). There were notable differences in dropout rates at the elementary levels between males and females in the West Bank, Lebanon, and Gaza. At the preparatory level, females had a higher dropout rate in Jordan than males (4.01 versus 3.04, respectively). However, across the other four Fields, the rate of male dropout was higher at the preparatory level compared with the rate for females. 3 The data in Table 1 is universe data for all dropouts across all UNRWA schools. This data does not come from the sample. The dropout rates for the sample data are shown in Table 2. With the exception of the West Bank and Lebanon, the average dropout rates for the sample used in this study are larger than the universe data. This is prominent in the case of Jordan (1.82 versus 3.08). The differences can be explained by the sampling procedures followed and anomalies in data collection by some of the Field offices. 5

12 sample statistics The data reported in this section are based on the sample of dropouts in 172 schools across the five Fields in Given the sampling methods, discrepancies in dropout rates by Field are noticeable between the universal data presented above and data presented in the remainder of this report. Table 2 contains the dropout rate for the sample, the number of schools in the sample, and the school dropout rate range. As the data in Table 2 indicates, there was a great deal of variability in the school dropout rates across the five Fields. Most notably, in one school in Gaza the dropout rate was 0.06 while in another Gaza school the rate was nearly 23. Table 2: Dropout rate, number of schools, and the school dropout rate range by Field Field Average dropout rates 4 No. of schools in sample Dropout rate range for schools Lowest Highest Total West Bank Lebanon Gaza Jordan Syria Table 3 shows the percentage of dropouts by whether the school was an all-male school, an all-female school or co-educational. This data represents the last school that the dropout attended. Of the dropouts in the Gaza sample, nearly three quarters (71 percent) attended all male schools. In Lebanon, a higher percentage of students than in other Fields of the sample were in co-educational schools. 5 Table 3: Percentage of dropouts by school type Field All male All female Co-educational West Bank Lebanon Gaza Jordan Syria Not applicable 4 For the West Bank, Jordan, and Syria, the dropout rates are calculated by first calculating the dropout rate for each school and then calculating the average within the field. For Lebanon and Gaza, the dropout rate was calculated by weighting the dropouts to representative levels and dividing the number of dropouts by the total number of students in each field for For Gaza this number was 212,371 and for Lebanon the number was 32,191 5 This data is presented here to describe the sample and conclusions should not be drawn concerning the association between dropping out and school type. 6

13 unrwa school drop out september 2013 characteristics of dropouts This section explores the characteristics of the dropouts in the sample. These characteristics are taken from the school records or from the interviews. This section also relates, where relevant, the information on dropout characteristics with what students identified as reasons for dropping out. dropout by background characteristics Gender About 44 percent of all dropouts in the sample were female, while 56 percent were male. Although comparisons between dropouts and non-dropouts cannot be made for many of the variables, data collected at the school level provide the total number of students by gender and allow for this comparison. The gender distribution of all students in these five Fields was about even, with 51 percent males and 49 percent females. Table 4 provides the gender distribution of dropouts and of all students for each Field. Table 4: Percentage of dropouts and percentage of all students by gender Field Average dropout rates Male Female Dropout All students Dropout All students West Bank Lebanon Gaza Jordan Syria Figure 1 provides the percentage of dropouts who were female versus the percentage of students who were female. Those Fields below the line have a disproportionately lower percentage of dropouts who were female compared to the student population. For example, in Gaza, 27 percent of all dropouts were female, while females made up 48 percent of the student population. In Gaza, males made up 52 percent of the student population, yet 72 percent of the dropouts. In Jordan, females constituted a higher percentage of dropouts than of the student population, with females representing 56 percent of all dropouts, but only 49 percent of all students; this was the only Field with such a finding. 7

14 Figure 1: Percentage of dropouts and students who are female Percentage female (dropouts) Jordan Lebanon Syria Gaza West Bank Work Percentage female (all students) Dropouts were asked in the interview if they were currently working, and 34 percent responded yes, with percentages ranging between 19 percent in Syria and 42 percent in the West Bank (see Table 5). The percentage of dropouts who were working, based on school data collected during the last year they were in school, closely mimics the percentage of dropouts who responded during the interview that a reason for dropping out was to work to help the family (reasons for dropping out are discussed further in the next section). For example, 39 percent of dropouts in Jordan were working in based on the school data, and 38 percent of dropouts reported that a reason that they dropped out was to work to help the family. One exception was the West Bank, where 21 percent of dropouts reported working to help the family as a reason why they left school, whereas 42 percent of all dropouts were working in according to school data. Table 5: Background characteristics of dropouts (in percent) by Field (based on school data) Background characteristic West Bank Lebanon Gaza Jordan Syria Student works Student is married Lives in camp Distance to school is more than 2km Lives with both parents Father is alive Mother is alive Data not available. 8

15 unrwa school drop out september 2013 Living situation With the exception of Gaza, the majority of dropouts in each Field lived in camps. In Syria, 100 percent of the dropouts lived in camps. The distance travelled to school varied across the Fields. For example, in the West Bank all the dropouts travelled more than two kilometers to school. In contrast, in Lebanon it was only 15 percent. According to school data, the majority of dropouts lived with both their parents in , with only small percentages living with a Mother or Father only or another relative. Unfortunately, some dropouts had experienced the death of a parent. In Lebanon and Jordan, over 10 percent of dropouts no longer had a Father who was alive. The percentage of dropouts who, according to school records, were married in , ranged from 2 percent in Gaza to 10 percent in Jordan On average across the four Fields, where information was available, the dropouts were, on average, the fourth child (sibling rank) in their family (4.17). This did vary slightly by Field with the averages being 3.26 for Lebanon, 4.74 for Gaza, 4.24 for Jordan, and 3.24 for Syria. Parents education The school data collected in includes information of parents level of education. For the four countries with data, a high percentage of dropouts had parents that had a basic education or less (see Table 6). There were notable differences across the Fields, however. In Lebanon, 87 percent of dropouts had a Father who had received only a basic education or was illiterate. In addition, none of the dropouts in Lebanon had a Father who had been educated to the diploma or university level. For Gaza and Jordan, three quarters of dropouts had Fathers who fell into these two categories (75 and 74 percent, respectively). However, the percentage for the West Bank was much lower at 37.5 percent. Table 6: Parent's educational level of dropouts by Field (in percent) Educational level West Bank Lebanon Gaza Jordan Total Fathers' education Illiterate Basic Secondary Diploma University Mothers' education Illiterate Basic Secondary Diploma University

16 In terms of mothers education, a similar pattern emerged with mothers in the West Bank having higher levels of education. Half of the mothers of dropouts in the West Bank were educated to the secondary school level or above. This is in contrast to the other Fields with data (Lebanon 22 percent, Gaza 29.5 percent, and Jordan 37.4 percent). Consistent with the findings for fathers education, low levels of education were found for the mothers of dropouts. Over three quarters of dropouts in Lebanon had a mother who had only a basic education or was illiterate. Family engagement in education The schools were asked in to report how interested they thought the family of the dropout was in education. Across the four Fields with data, schools reported that 40 percent of the students who eventually dropped out had a family that exhibited high or very high levels of interest in education. However, a significant percentage of families were seen as not being interested in education (Table 7). Variation was found across the four Fields with data. While only 14 percent of students who dropped out in Gaza were seen as having families with low level of interest in education, the percentages we considerably higher in Jordan (48 percent) and West Bank (52 percent). Over a third of students in Lebanon (35.9 percent) were reported as having families with very high levels of engagement. Table 7: Level of interest of family in education by Field (in percent) Interest level West Bank Lebanon Gaza Jordan Total Low Moderate High Very high From this data there is an indication that in Jordan and West Bank low levels of interest by the students family in education, as reflected in school records, might be a potential indicator of school dropout. This may not be the case in Gaza and Lebanon, however. Caution has to be exerted when interpreting such information as there is obviously a certain level of subjectivity in the way parents interest is assessed in different schools and Fields so, for example, what is considered as a low level of interest in education in West Bank may be considered as a moderate level of interest in Lebanon. dropout by grade Information was collected from dropouts on what grade they were in when they dropped out. Elementary education corresponds to Grades 1 to 6 in all Fields, and preparatory 10

17 unrwa school drop out september 2013 education corresponds to Grades 7 to 9 in the West Bank, Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria and Grades 7 to 10 in Jordan. Table 8 provides the distribution by grade of dropouts during the school year. Dropouts were more likely to be in preparatory school than in elementary school when they left school, with the exception of Gaza. In Lebanon, 44 percent of all dropouts left school in an elementary grade. In Syria, only 19 percent of dropouts were in an elementary grade when they left school. More than one-third of dropouts in Syria were in their first year of preparatory school when they dropped out. Fifty-two percent of the dropouts in Gaza left school in an elementary grade. Most notable is the high percentage of total dropouts in Grades 4 (14 percent) and 5 (16 percent) in Gaza. Table 8: Grade distribution of dropouts (in percent) Grade West Bank Lebanon Gaza Jordan Syria Grade 3 * Grade 4 * Grade 5 * Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade Total Elementary Preparatory Not applicable. * No elementary schools were selected for the sample. dropout by age Figure 2 provides the percentage distribution by age of the dropouts during the school year. For the three Fields with data, the highest percentage of students dropped out when they were 16 years of age. The distribution is very similar for Gaza and Jordan. However, in Lebanon a third (33 percent) of students had dropped out by the time they were 14 years of age while for Gaza and Jordan the percentages were much lower (20 percent and 15 percent, respectively). In Jordan, 12 percent of students dropped out when they were 18 years of age or older. The mean age of dropout was highest for Jordan (15.75) followed by Gaza (15.31) and then Lebanon (15.31). 11

18 Figure 2: Percentage distribution of the age of students when they dropped out by Field dropout by grade repetition According to school records, the overwhelming majority of dropouts in Lebanon, Gaza, and Jordan had repeated at least one grade, and this was true for both males and females (see Table 9). Across the three Fields that data are available for, 89 percent of all dropouts had repeated at least one grade prior to dropping out of school. In Gaza, almost all students who eventually dropped out had repeated a grade (96 percent of males and 92 percent of females). The percentages for Lebanon and Jordan were slightly lower (90 percent and 84 percent, respectively). The data provided in Table 10 further examine the high percentage of dropouts who have repeated at least one grade. Because data was not collected from those students who did not dropout, direct calculations about the probability of dropping out cannot be made. The calculations in Table 10 estimate the percentage probability that a student will or will not drop out of school. While caution should be used when examining estimates in Table 10, the results highlight some interesting points. The analyses were restricted to Gaza and Jordan due to the availability of data. 12

19 unrwa school drop out september 2013 Table 9: Percentage of dropouts who repeated a grade by gender and Field Field Repeated a grade Overall total 89.1 Lebanon Total 89.7 Male 89.5 Female 90.0 Gaza Total 94.7 Male 95.8 Female 91.7 Jordan Total 83.9 Male 83.3 Female 84.3 Note: Data not available for the West Bank and Syria. Table 10: Percentage probability of dropping out by grade repetition, gender, and Field Field Minimum percentage probability that a student who has repeated will dropout Maximum percentage probability that a student who has not repeated a grade will dropout Probability for a repeater to dropout / probability for a nonrepeater 1 Gaza Male Female Jordan Male Female This calculation involved dividing the first column by the second. The number represents the probability that a student who repeats at least one grade will dropout out versus a student who has not repeated a grade. NOTE: The survival rate by grade is used in the calculations for this Table. For more information on how this rate is calculated see page 14 of the technical guidelines Table 10 indicates that the minimum percentage probability that a student who repeats at least one grade will drop out of school ranges from a low of 25 percent for males in Gaza to 60 percent for females in Jordan. In other words, it is predicted that 60 percent or more females attending UNRWA schools in Jordan will dropout prior to graduation. In contrast, 13

20 the second column is the percentage probability that a student who has not repeated a grade will drop out of school. As indicated in the Table, the percentages are low. In Gaza, it is predicted that less than one percent of all students will drop out if they have never repeated a grade. In Jordan, this percentage, while still relatively low, is just over four percent. It is estimated that a female who has repeated at least one grade in Gaza is 73 times more likely to drop out than a female non-repeater (see column 3). Male repeaters in Gaza are 31 times more likely than male non-repeaters to not graduate from school. The difference in odds for repeaters in Jordan are still noteworthy but far less so when compared to Gaza. dropout by achievement Data on academic achievement were collected from the last school that dropouts attended and categorized as very low, low, medium, and high. 6 Table 11 shows the percentage distribution of dropouts in each Field by academic achievement. Table 11: Academic achievement of dropouts (in percent) Academic achievement West Bank Lebanon Gaza Jordan Syria Total Very low Low Medium High Using that definition, the majority of dropouts in the West Bank (90 percent), Lebanon (81 percent), and Syria (81 percent) had very low or low academic achievement. This was not the case in Gaza, where only 43 percent of dropouts were in the very low or low academic achievement categories. In Jordan, low achievement did not appear to be a defining characteristic of dropouts; most dropouts were classified as having medium or high academic achievement. This is somewhat surprising, given that 89 percent of dropouts in Gaza and 80 percent in Jordan cited underachievement as a factor in their decision to drop out. However, there is a need to exert caution here because the grading system may be different in the different Fields. 7 6 Not all achievement data collected used the same metric (i.e., percentages). Therefore, the data for each Field was converted into quartiles for compatibility purposes. 7 What appears as the same achievement level, based on the percentage achieved in exams, may actually mean different things in different Fields. 14

21 unrwa school drop out september 2013 dropout by study habits Dropouts were asked in the interview how much time they spent studying out of school every day. The majority of students who eventually dropped out of school spent less than an hour a day studying (Figure 3). Students in Lebanon reported studying for longer each day when compare to students on Gaza and Jordan. For example, 46 percent of students in Lebanon studied for more than 1 hour everyday compare to 31 percent in Jordan and 29 percent in Gaza. It may be the case that dropouts were spending less time studying because of work commitments. Therefore, Table 12 shows the percentage distribution of time spent studying by the students work status for the three Fields with data. In Jordan and Gaza a large majority of those students who reported working studied for less than an hour a day. The difference in study habits between those working and those not working was most stark in Gaza (95 percent versus 61 percent, respectively). In Lebanon the study habit differences by work status are not discernible. Figure 3: Time spent studying by dropouts by Field (in percent) 15

22 Table 12: Percentage distribution of the work status of dropouts by time spent studying and Field. Jordan Gaza less than an hour 1-2 hours 2-4 hours more than 4 hours Not working Working Not working Lebanon Working Not working Working dropout by behaviour The dropout s behavior, as recorded in school data, was also captured in the study. Schools reported whether the student was collaborative or aggressive, isolated or hostile in some way. Figure 4 shows the percentage of dropouts who were reported as being collaborative in school. With the exception of Lebanon, half or less than half of the dropouts were seen as collaborative by the school. In contrast, nearly three quarters of the dropouts in Lebanon were considered collaborative. In many ways, this measure could be viewed as an indicator of engagement or distraction. Figure 4: Percentage of dropouts who were reported by the school as being collaborative by Field 16

23 unrwa school drop out september 2013 dropout by school absence The number of days a student is absent from school may be a risk factor in dropping out. The more school that students miss, the further behind they fall academically and the further disengaged they become from the school environment. Table 13 presents school absence data for the dropouts in the sample. There were similar amount of days absent from school (in ) for dropouts in Lebanon and Syria (20.4 and 21.9 days, respectively). The number of days absent from school was far greater in Gaza (96.2 days) and in Jordan (63.5 days). Table 13: Average number of days absent from school for dropouts Average number of days absent Field West Bank during school year during last month before dropping out Total 7.29 Male 8.93 Female 5.19 Lebanon Total Male Female Gaza Total Male Female Jordan Total Male Female Syria Total 21.9 Male 24.7 Female 18.5 Data not available. 17

24 There are notable differences by gender. Across the Fields, males who dropped out had more days absent from school in than females. For example, in Lebanon, males were absent, on average, a total of 30 days compared with females who were absent 10 days. Similar patterns can be observed across the other three Fields. The above information depends on the date at which the student dropped out during the year (start or end of the school year), therefore data on how many days the dropouts had been absent in the month prior to dropping out was also collected from the schools (Table 13). As the data in Table 13 indicates, the dropouts missed school a number of days during the last month. However, the number of days missed varied across Fields and by gender. In Gaza and Lebanon, the dropouts missed an average of 6 days of school in the month prior to dropping out. In both cases, males had slightly higher rates of absenteeism than females. In the West Bank, the average number of days absent in the month prior to dropping out was 7, with males being absent nearly 9 days on average compared with females who were absent 5 days on average. The absenteeism data for Jordan appears higher than the other Fields. Overall, dropouts in Jordan recorded 18 days of absence in the last month before dropping out and females recorded higher levels of absenteeism than males (20 versus 16 days). In the case of female dropouts, rates of absence from school during the school year may not be a good at-risk indicator. This may particularly be the case in Lebanon where females who dropped out only missed 5 days of school, on average, in the last month prior to dropping out. dropout by social and economic risk factors There are a number of factors that can place a student at risk of dropping out. These may include marriage, work, or death of a parent. The dropouts in this study were classified in terms of having none, one, two, or three of these particular risk factors. For the four Fields with data (see Figure 5), the majority of students had experienced at least one risk factor. The risk factors were marriage (or reported that marriage was a major factor for dropping out), work (or reported that work was a major factor for dropping out), or had experienced the death of at least one of their parents. In all four Fields, far less than half of the students had experienced no social or economic risk factors (Jordan 27 percent, Gaza 44 percent, Lebanon 38 percent, and West Bank 40 percent). However, a small percentage had experience two or more of these risk factors. In Jordan, for example, nearly 14 percent of all dropouts have experienced two or more risk factors. 18

25 unrwa school drop out september 2013 Figure 5: Percent of dropouts by number of social and economic risk factors decision to dropout Dropouts were asked during the interview whose decision it was to drop out of school. In the case of Lebanon, they were also asked if they regretted the decision to drop out of school. The data from the dropouts was collected in 2012 and in some cases, this would have been over a year after they decided to drop out. Figure 6: Percentage of dropouts reporting whose decision it was to drop out of school. 19

26 Across the three Fields with data, it is clear that in the majority of the cases, the student reported that they, themselves, made the decision to drop out (see Figure 6). For schools this is important information because if the student is making the decision there is an opportunity to engage with them in a way it may not be possible with the students parents. In the case of Lebanon, 45 percent of the dropouts reported that they regretted dropping out of school; fifty-five percent reported that they did not regret the decision. reasons for dropping out During the interview, dropouts were provided a list of 32 potential reasons for dropping out of school and were asked if each reason was not a reason, a major reason, or a secondary reason for leaving school. The reasons provided were grouped into four broad categories: student-specific, school-related, family-related, and socioeconomic reasons. Across all four Fields, dropouts reported student-specific reasons as the top three reasons that led to their dropping out of school. For example, the number one reason in Jordan and Lebanon, and the number two reason in Gaza and the West Bank, was underachievement (see Figure 7). 8 Effectively, if students thought they were not going to graduate, they dropped out of school. Lack of interest followed as the most commonly reported reason for dropping out across all Fields. Meanwhile, dropouts in Gaza reported an inability to continue as their first reason for dropping out. 9 In terms of female dropouts in Gaza, 69 percent reported being overage as a reason for dropping out (see Appendix A Tables). For 44 percent of female dropouts this was a major reason for dropping out and is the reason with the highest percentage for females in all Fields. In Lebanon, 20 percent reported that being overage was a major reason for them dropping out of school. In terms of context, the average repetition rate for females in Lebanon was 10.2 percent. Therefore, the girls reports appear in line with the overall rates of grade repetition. However, this is not the case with Gaza where 44 percent of female dropouts reported being overage as a major reason for dropping out of school, but the average repetition rate is the lowest across the five Fields at 1.5 percent. 8 Due to the on-going conflict in Syria, the student-level questionnaire data was not available for analysis. In this section, data will be presented for four of the five Fields. 9 This statement is somewhat vague and it is difficult to interpret and give meaning to this result. 20

27 unrwa school drop out september 2013 Figure 7: Percentage of dropouts who reported reason was a major or secondary reason for dropping out (in percent) Students in Jordan reported two family-related reasons in their top three for dropping out: busy parent and lack of good studying environment. Perhaps surprisingly, given their refugee status, dropouts generally did not list school-related or socioeconomic reasons as their top reasons for dropping out. In fact, across the five Fields, family-related reasons (e.g., early marriage or place of residence) consistently came after underachievement as reasons for dropping out. The Field where school-related issues were most frequently given as reasons for dropping out was Jordan and specifically by boys. Consistent with the overall findings, dropouts in all Fields most frequently reported an inability to continue, underachievement, and lack of interest as personal reasons for leaving school, while health issues were least frequently reported. Dropouts, both male and female, in Jordan also reported anxiety of exams among their top three reasons, while this was a major reason for dropout for girls in Gaza. The top family-related reason reported by students in Gaza, Jordan, and Lebanon as having contributed to their dropping out was lack of follow-up by the family ; for students in the West Bank, it was lack of communication between family and school, which is also a school-related reason, and for students in Syria it was having a busy parent. In contrast, death of a parent and family problems were among the reasons that students reported least often for dropping out of school. The pattern of responses for socioeconomic reasons for dropping out revealed important differences compared to the rankings across all reasons. Specifically, within the category work to help family was the reason that students reported most frequently; however, across all reasons, it did not rank in the top 10 in any Field other than the West Bank. 21

28 Further, early marriage was one of the top three socioeconomic reasons for students in Gaza, Jordan, and the West Bank. It was, however, not among the top reasons except in the West Bank. Jordan had the highest percentage of dropouts who identified early marriage as a reason for dropping out. The percentage of a cohort who will dropout while identifying early marriage as a major reason for dropout is below 1 percent in Gaza or West Bank, while it is 6 percent in Jordan and 2 percent in Lebanon. If major and secondary reasons for dropout are considered, 3 percent of girls in Lebanon will dropout while identifying early marriage as a major or secondary reason for dropout, while this percentage is 7 percent in Jordan, and 1.5 percent or less in West Bank and Gaza. Finally, somewhat surprising is that 42 percent of boys in Lebanon identify the influence of wrong friends as a major reason for dropping out, and 48 percent of boys and 38 percent of girls in West Bank identify too much TV and internet as a major reason for dropout. Taken together, the consistency of the reasons given for dropping out indicates that, largely, student refugees discontinue their education for student-specific reasons, such as lack of interest and underachievement, and for family-related reasons, such as having a busy parent and a lack of communication between parents and teachers. Although students report some school and socio-economic reasons for dropping out, these do not seem to be the most important drivers behind students decision to discontinue his or her education. It is important to underline that these reasons, though student-specific or family-related can be partly influenced upon by schools. reasons for dropping out, by selected characteristics gender Across Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, and the West Bank, males and females listed underachievement, lack of interest, and an inability to continue as the first, second, and third most common reasons for dropping out of school (see appendix Tables). Anxiety of exams was also in the top five reasons. An interesting contrast between males and females exists regarding desire for independence, work to help family, and early marriage. Specifically, 39 percent of males reported independence as a major reason for dropping out compared to only 8 percent of females. Meanwhile, 34 percent of males reported work to help family as a major reason, compared with only 4 percent of females. In contrast, 25 percent of females reported early marriage as a major reason, whereas only 5 percent of males did so. Based on gender, student refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jordan reflected the overall findings for why students dropped out of school, particularly with lack of interest and underachievement. Again, student-specific reasons were among the top five major reasons for dropping out for both genders. 22

29 unrwa school drop out september 2013 Where Gaza differed from the overall findings was that student was overage was also in the top five major reasons for males and females. Additionally, 32 percent of males reported working to support their family as a major reason for dropping out, but no females reported this. Meanwhile, male students in the West Bank stood apart because they reported too much time on TV or Internet as a major reason by a wide margin compared to students in the other Fields (see Figure 8). Looking across genders, in Jordan, 47 percent of male students reported work to help family as a major reason for dropping out, but only 5 percent of females reported did so. Figure 8: Percentage of male students reporting too much time on TV or Internet as major personal reasons for dropping out, by Field marital status Based on marital status, student refugees across the four Fields did not differ widely in their reasons for dropping out compared to the overall findings. Perhaps this is due to the low incidence of married students in the study. There were several interesting differences by marital status. First, 18 percent of married students reported the death of a parent as a major reason, compared to only 7 percent of single students. Second, as might be suspected, a larger percentage of married students reported early marriage as a major reason for dropping out (46 percent) than did single students (12 percent). Given the small percentage of married students in the Fields, and the similarity between the overall findings and those for individual Fields, Jordan, at 10 percent of students, stood out as the Field most appropriate for discussion. Interesting findings from Jordan include the number of family reasons that both married and single students reported as major reasons for dropping out. Student refugees in Jordan reported family problems, busy parent, lack of follow up of the family, and lack of communication between family and school in their top 5 major reasons. This influence of family was not found in the overall portrait. Further, a noteworthy difference exists between married and single students regarding Work to help 23

30 family. Zero married students reported Work to help family as a major reason for their dropping out of school, while 26 percent of students reported it as a major reason. academic achievement Across the four Fields with data, underachievement was the number one major reason that student refugees dropped out of school, with lack of interest as either the second and third reasons for each level of achievement. Interestingly, family-related reasons were more commonly reported based on academic achievement than were other student characteristics. For example, 56 percent of high-achieving students reported family problems as a major reason for dropping out, and 52 percent of high-achieving students reported lack of follow-up of the family as a major reason. Figure 9: Percentage of dropouts reporting major student-specific reasons for dropping out, by academic achievement For refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, and Jordan, underachievement and lack of interest were the most frequently reported major reasons for dropping out at each achievement level (very low, low, medium, and high) (see Figure 9). 10 Lebanon had a different response pattern. In this Field, only very low achievers reported underachievement as their number one major reason for dropping out. Specifically, it was mentioned by 75 percent of very-low-achieving Lebanon students and 64 percent of lowachieving students, but not by any medium or high achieving students. In fact, 100 percent 10 The West Bank had only very low, low, and medium categories of academic achievement. 24

31 unrwa school drop out september 2013 of high-achieving student refugees in Lebanon who dropped out reported an inability to continue, desire for independence, family problems, and early marriage as their major reason for dropping out. In Gaza, family-related reasons were mentioned more often than in the other Fields. identifying clusters of reasons for dropping out The dropouts identified multiple reasons for dropping out of school. Understanding how these reasons group together is an important part of this analysis 11. In total, seven clusters of reasons were identified and are as follows: Cluster name Items Academic Engagement student underachievement student's lack of interest in his/her study student's sense of frustration and despair student's inability to continue to study fear and anxiety of exams and repetition Sense of Belonging and Health student's disease or health issues student feeling that s/he is persona non grata by the teachers student feeling that his peers made fun of him/her Distractions influence of the wrong type of friends student spending too much time in front of the television and the internet distractions close to the school (i.e., cinema, clubs etc.) school close to schools of the opposite sex Transition to Adulthood student's desire for independence and to make a living early student is overage School Resources and Teacher Practices inability of a number of teachers to appropriately teach the students lack of interest by teachers to pursue academic achievement the use of corporal or moral punishment by teachers poor students relationships with his/her teachers and peers no person in the school that helps students to cope with their problems lack of recreational and extracurricular activities at school lack of follow-up of absence by the school Parental involvement lack of good study environment at home busy parents lack of follow-up concerning academic achievement by the family lack of communication between the family and the school Family Difficulties family problems at home the death of one or both parents family s need for help from their son/daughter 11 Factor analysis was used to create these seven clusters. Four of the 32 items did not load into a cluster. 25

32 ranking of clusters When these clusters were compared within and across Fields, a number of patterns emerged. Across all Fields with data, low academic engagement was identified by the former students as being the most salient set of reasons for them dropping out of school. This was the case overall and across the four Fields with data (see Table 14). Overall, the second most important set of reasons for dropping out was lack of parental involvement followed by reasons concerned with transition to adulthood. The fourth most salient set of reasons was concerned with family difficulties, the fifth was school resources and teaching practices, and the sixth was student experiencing various distractions. Table 14. Ranking of clusters of reasons for dropping out of school by Field Field West Bank Lebanon Gaza Jordan Overall Academic Engagement Sense of Belonging and Health Distractions Transition to Adulthood School Resources and Teacher Practices Parental involvement Family Difficulties Note: Data not available for Syria. Taking the Fields individually, some variation can be observed. Lack of parental involvement is the second most important factor in Jordan but the fifth most important in the West Bank. Conversely, in the West Bank former students report that various distractions are the second most salient reason for dropping out but this is not the case in Lebanon (ranked 5 th ), Jordan (ranked 6 th ) and Gaza (ranked 7 th ). ranking of clusters by gender Given potential differences by gender, the same ranking procedure was conducted for males and females within each Field 12. Overall, low academic engagement was the most salient factor for both males and females (see Table 15). However, there is one notable difference. In Jordan, the highest ranked reason was parental involvement for females compared with low academic engagement for males. Moreover, male dropouts in Jordan indicated, on average, that lack of parental involvement was the least likely cause of them dropping out of school. An in-depth analysis of the reasons for dropout by gender indicates that academic engagement for Jordan girls is not ranked low because fewer girls dropout 12 Analysis was also conduct by grade level in which the student dropped out of school. No discernible differences were found and therefore the results have not been presented in this report. 26

33 unrwa school drop out september 2013 for these reasons in Jordan than in the other Fields, but rather because more girls quote other reasons for dropout than in the other Fields. Table 15. Ranking of clusters of reasons for dropping out of school by gender and Field West Bank Lebanon Gaza Jordan Overall Reason Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Academic Engagement Sense of Belonging and Health Distractions Transition to Adulthood School Resources and Teacher Practices Parental involvement Family Difficulties Note: Data not available for Syria. grade repetition and dropping out The analyses of the data provide a strong indication that students who repeated at least one grade appear at greater risk of dropping out than those who did not have a history of grade repetition. Therefore, it is important to identify salient characteristics of these students in order to assist schools in early detection of students who are at increased risk of dropping out of school. As reported in an earlier section of this report, the majority of dropouts had repeated at least one grade, and this was the case for both males and females. timing of dropout and grade repetition The percentage distribution of grade of dropout by repetition status can be seen in Table 16. Data for three Fields combined (Gaza, Jordan, and Lebanon) illustrate that for those who have a history of repeating a grade there is no clear grade in which they are more likely to drop out of school. In contrast, for those who have not repeated a grade, 65.7 percent dropout out in either the 8 th or the 9th grade. This analysis provides potentially helpful information for schools and highlights when targeted invention strategies should be take place for non-repeaters. 27

34 Table 16. Percentage distribution of student dropout by grade of dropout for three Fields combined. Grade of Dropout Repetition status Did not repeat Did repeat Data not available for the West Bank and Syria. The percentages represent the combined totals for Gaza, Jordan, and Lebanon. Table 17 focuses on the dropouts who repeated at least one grade and examines differences in the timing of dropout by gender. The overall pattern across the three Fields indicates that boys that have previously repeated a grade are more likely to dropout out in an earlier grade than girls. For example, 64.7 percent of boys who had previously repeated had dropped out of school before the end of Grade 7. For girls the percentage was much lower at 36.4 percent. It can be suggested that based on this data, targeted inventions for repeaters must start earlier for boys than for girls. Table 17. Percentage distribution of student dropout by grade for students who had repeated at least one grade for three Fields combined by gender. Grade of Dropout Repetition status Male Female Data not available for the West Bank and Syria. The percentages represent the combined totals for Gaza, Jordan, and Lebanon. academic engagement and grade repetition Given that most dropouts indicated that low academic engagement was the most salient reason for them dropping out of school, analyses was conducted to see if there were differences found by grade repetition. In other words, are students who are struggling to engage academically and had to repeat at least one grade more likely to report that they dropped out for academic reasons? As Table 18 indicates, dropouts who had repeated at least one grade were more likely to report that they dropped out of school for academic engagement reasons than those dropouts who did not repeat a grade. The difference was most notable in Lebanon. 28

35 unrwa school drop out september 2013 Table 18: Mean academic engagement reason score for dropouts by grade repetition and Field Field Academic engagement Total 2.21 Lebanon Did not repeat 1.80 Did repeat 2.11 Gaza Did not repeat 2.34 Did repeat 2.44 Jordan Did not repeat 1.91 Did repeat 2.09 Data not available for the West Bank and Syria. As indicated in Figure 4, the two most salient reasons given for dropout by the students were underachievement and lack of interest. Tables 19 and 20 provide the mean underachievement and lack of interest mean reason score by whether the student repeated at least one grade or not prior to dropping out of school. Table 19: Mean underachievement reason score for dropouts by grade repetition and Field Field Underachievement Total 2.47 Lebanon Did not repeat 1.50 Did repeat 2.40 Gaza Did not repeat 2.57 Did repeat 2.69 Jordan Did not repeat 2.13 Did repeat 2.46 Data not available for the West Bank and Syria. As Tables 19 and 20 indicate, dropouts who had repeated at least one year were more likely to cite underachievement and lack of interest in school and their studies than those students who had not repeated. The difference between repeaters and not repeaters for Lebanon in terms of underachievement is notable. 29

36 Table 20: Mean lack of interest reason score for dropouts by grade repetition and Field Field Lack of Interest Total 2.37 Lebanon Did not repeat 2.00 Did repeat 2.36 Gaza Did not repeat 2.29 Did repeat 2.51 Jordan Did not repeat 2.04 Did repeat 2.26 Data not available for the West Bank and Syria. economic factors and grade repetition While less prevalent than the academic engagement reasons for dropping out of school, a significant percentage of male students did report that dropping out of school to work in order to help their family was a major or secondary factor in their decision. Given this, it is interesting to see if there were differences between students who had repeated at least one grade or not. It might be the case that a male student who has already repeated a grade would be more likely to drop out to assist their family because they have already experienced difficulties with their schooling and might see work as a good alternative to continuing their education. Equally, these same students have already demonstrated resilience by repeating a grade and persisting with their schooling and maybe less reluctant to drop out of school to find work. As Figure 10 indicates, a higher percentage of male non-repeaters than repeaters reported that a major reason for them dropping out was to work to help their family (52.9 percent versus 34.1 percent, respectively). It is possible that these are students who are doing well in schools (i.e., they have not had to repeat a grade), but economic factors prevent them from continuing their schooling. 30

37 unrwa school drop out september 2013 Figure 10: Percentage distribution of males reporting whether needing to work to help their family was a major, secondary, or not a reason for dropping out additional information on dropouts in the West Bank West Bank collected some additional data through interviews with the parents, teachers and Principals. They were asked a set of questions relating to why the student dropped out and what contributing factors there were. In addition, the respondents were asked about what efforts were made to prevent the student from dropping out of school. Table 21. Factors responsible for dropout of student as reported by parent, Principal and teacher (in percent). Factor Parent School Principal Teacher Student Family School Socio-economic conditions Table 21 illustrates a slight disconnect between the dropout s parents, school Principal, and teacher when it comes to what factor was responsible for the student to dropout. Eighty-six percent of teachers report that the students themselves were the factor that led to dropout. This is in contrast to 50 percent of the school Principals and 63 percent of parents. Unlike the teachers and parents, a fifth of school Principals identified socio-economic conditions as a factor for dropping out. 31

38 Each of the three groups was asked to what extent the school and family contributed to the student dropping out of school. As Table 22 indicates, there is much consensus between the school Principal and the teachers. To a certain extent, the parents agreed with the school staff that much family factors seem to either contribute significantly or slightly to the student dropping out of school. Ninety-four percent of parents reported that the family contributed significantly (57 percent) or slightly (37 percent) to their child dropping out of school. Table 22. The extent to which the school and family contributed to the student dropout as reported by parent, Principal and teacher (in percent). School Family Contribution Parent School Principal Teacher Significantly Slightly Did not contribute Significantly Slightly Did not contribute The parents, school Principal, and teachers were also asked about what efforts were made by the school and family to prevent the student from dropping out. Table 23 indicates a disconnect between the school representatives and the parents. For example, 23 percent of Principals and 31 percent of teachers reported that there had been individual counseling and meetings with the students. In contrast, no parents reported these meetings had occurred. It is, of course, possible that these meeting and counseling sessions took place during the school day and parents might not have be aware that they had taken place. Table 23. Efforts made by the school to prevent the student dropping out as reported by parent, Principal and teacher (in percent). Action Parent School Principal Teacher Individual counselling and meetings with students Communicate with parents Home visits Involvement in school activities and treatment programs

39 unrwa school drop out september 2013 Parents reported that they had been communicated with concerning their child (93 percent). However, it is interesting to note few parents, Principals, and teachers reported that home visits took place in order to help prevent the student dropping out. Table 24. Efforts made by the family to prevent the student dropping out as reported by parent, Principal and teacher (in percent). Action Parent School Principal Teacher Advice and guidance Nothing When asked what efforts the family had made in preventing the student from dropping out, the school representatives indicated that they thought the family had done nothing. In contrast, 79 percent of parents reported that they had provided their child with advice and guidance (see Table 24). This snap shot of the situation in the West Bank does highlight a possible communication failure on the part of both the school and the parents of the dropouts. As the data indicates, the differing perceptions of the situation regarding the student are notable. 33

40 warning signs In many ways, the analysis from the five Fields confirms what we already know. First, dropouts struggle to engage with school. The dropouts in this study reported low achievement, frequent absences from schools, and many had repeated a year of schooling. These are, of course, all interrelated and it is often difficult to know which of these factors precipitated the others. While there are a number of limitations to this study, such as no comparison group of students who did not dropout, the results do provide schools with an overall picture of the profile of Palestine refugees dropouts and provides analysis at the Field rather than just the school level. To determine indicators or potential warning signs of dropping out, the following may provide assistance to Field officers and schools. 1. The overwhelming majority of dropouts have repeated a grade. In Gaza and Jordan, further analysis could be undertaken which shows that at least a quarter of repeaters will ultimately dropout, with repeaters being at least 10 times more likely than nonrepeaters to dropout. In this context, focusing on repeaters is a very good way of targeting future dropouts. 2. If a student has repeated a grade, it is likely that they are struggling to engage more generally with school. Dropouts who had repeated a grade were more likely to report a number of academic engagement reasons for dropping out and not just underachievement. 3. In using absence from school as a possible warning sign, schools should apply a different metric for females than they do males. This research found that female dropout s absence rate was low compared to the absence rates of male dropouts. Therefore, for females, repeated absence from school may not be a good warning sign that the student may be intending to drop out. 4. The majority of dropouts indicated that they themselves made the decision to drop out of school. This provides schools an opportunity to engage with the student in a way that would be more difficult if the students parents were making the decision. 5. Student behavior is a good indicator of possible dropout. With the exception of Lebanon, less than half of all dropouts were reported by their schools as being collaborative. Frequent monitoring and reporting of student behavior, especially those students that have other engagement issues, may be a useful strategy for schools to adopt. 6. Dropouts view low academic engagement as the most salient reason for them dropping out of school. Schools can influence a student s levels of achievement, they can help them overcome their fear of exams, they can provide support for a student who is frustrated, they can look to interest the student in their studies, they can engage with families, and they can react and actively support a student who has 34

41 unrwa school drop out september 2013 to repeat a grade. This research provides evidence to suggest that schools should focus their efforts on engaging students in their learning and academic studies. While other factors such as increasing parental involvement are important, resources, time, and effort would be better allocated to engaging students in their schooling. 7. There was little indication that the students dropped out because of school resources or the practices of teachers. This is a positive outcome for schools. But, it does indicate that while dropouts did not seem to blame schools for dropping out, many reasons that they cited can be highly impacted by school practices. One thing we might learn from the additional West Bank analyses is that schools need to think about if and when they communicate with parents when a student appears at risk from dropping out. While resource intensive, home visits may be a useful way forward in ensuring effective communication and partnerships are forged with the students family. 8. While academic engagement was the most salient reason given by dropouts, there were differences between males and females in the top two ranked sets of reasons. It is important that schools consider these differences when planning strategies to reduce the number of dropouts in their schools. 9. Nearly two-thirds of drop out students who have not repeated a grade go on to drop out in Grade 8 or 9. Therefore, targeted interventions should take place for these students prior to the beginning of 8 th Grade. For those drop outs who have previously repeated a grade, boys are likely to drop out before the end of Grade 7. Therefore, targeted interventions for these students should begin prior to 7 th Grade. 35

42 data limitations The data presented here are based on Fieldwork in some areas experiencing conflict. While every attempt has been made to ensure a representative sample, it is difficult to survey highly mobile populations in changeable and unstable environments. The students, schools, and families represented in the data may be different from non-sampled students, schools, and families in unknown ways and these differences can introduce bias in the estimates presented. In particular, Syria is experiencing ongoing conflict and while data was collected in Syria, most of this data could not be entered and sent out for analysis. 36

43 appendix A. tables: reasons for dropout Table A-1: Reasons for dropout - West Bank unrwa school drop out september 2013 West Bank Reasons for dropping out Student-specific reasons Not a factor Overall Male Female Secondary Major Not a Secondary Major Not a Secondary factor factor factor factor factor factor factor Major factor Underachievement Lack of interest Health issues Shy student Frustration and despair Influence of wrong friends Too much time on TV or internet Desire for independence Inability to continue Anxiety of exams Felt s/he is persona non grata by teachers Felt being made fun of Student is over age School-related reasons Inability of teachers Lack of interest by teachers Use of corporal punishment by teachers Poor relations with teacher No person in school that helps students Lack of recreational activities at school Lack of follow up of absence by school Family-related reasons Family problems Death of parent Lack of good study environment Busy parent Lack of follow up of the family Family needs for help Lack of communication between family and school Socioeconomic reasons Work to help family The residence is far away from school Near place for leisure activities School close to schools of the opposite sex Early marriage

44 Table A-2: Reasons for dropout - Lebanon Lebanon Reasons for dropping out Student-specific reasons Not a factor Overall Male Female Secondary Major Not a Secondary Major Not a Secondary factor factor factor factor factor factor factor Major factor Underachievement Lack of interest Health issues Shy student Frustration and despair Influence of wrong friends Too much time on TV or internet Desire for independence Inability to continue Anxiety of exams Felt s/he is persona non grata by teachers Felt being made fun of Student is over age School-related reasons Inability of teachers Lack of interest by teachers Use of corporal punishment by teachers Poor relations with teacher No person in school that helps students Lack of recreational activities at school Lack of follow up of absence by school Family-related reasons Family problems Death of parent Lack of good study environment Busy parent Lack of follow up of the family Family needs for help Lack of communication between family and school Socioeconomic reasons Work to help family The residence is far away from school Near place for leisure activities School close to schools of the opposite sex Early marriage

45 unrwa school drop out september 2013 Table A-3: Reasons for dropout - Gaza Gaza Reasons for dropping out Student-specific reasons Not a factor Overall Male Female Secondary Major Not a Secondary Major Not a Secondary factor factor factor factor factor factor factor Major factor Underachievement Lack of interest Health issues Shy student Frustration and despair Influence of wrong friends Too much time on TV or internet Desire for independence Inability to continue Anxiety of exams Felt s/he is persona non grata by teachers Felt being made fun of Student is over age School-related reasons Inability of teachers Lack of interest by teachers Use of corporal punishment by teachers Poor relations with teacher No person in school that helps students Lack of recreational activities at school Lack of follow up of absence by school Family-related reasons Family problems Death of parent Lack of good study environment Busy parent Lack of follow up of the family Family needs for help Lack of communication between family and school Socioeconomic reasons Work to help family The residence is far away from school Near place for leisure activities School close to schools of the opposite sex Early marriage

46 Table A-4: Reasons for dropout - Jordan Jordan Reasons for dropping out Student-specific reasons Not a factor Overall Male Female Secondary Major Not a Secondary Major Not a Secondary factor factor factor factor factor factor factor Major factor Underachievement Lack of interest Health issues Shy student Frustration and despair Influence of wrong friends Too much time on TV or internet Desire for independence Inability to continue Anxiety of exams Felt s/he is persona non grata by teachers Felt being made fun of Student is over age School-related reasons Inability of teachers Lack of interest by teachers Use of corporal punishment by teachers Poor relations with teacher No person in school that helps students Lack of recreational activities at school Lack of follow up of absence by school Family-related reasons Family problems Death of parent Lack of good study environment Busy parent Lack of follow up of the family Family needs for help Lack of communication between family and school Socioeconomic reasons Work to help family The residence is far away from school Near place for leisure activities School close to schools of the opposite sex Early marriage

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